Since MDC was a lifelong Red Sox fan, that’s obviously his heart speaking and not his head. It’s like knowing you and the girl of your dreams aren’t getting along lately, then being shocked when she dumps you. Just don’t want to believe it’s true.

He signed a 6 year major league deal in 2004…so that should make him a free agent this year…but I feel like we’re missing something. I think we would’ve heard a lot more about them trying to extend him if that were the case? He is not listed on MLBTR’s list of 2011 FA’s either.

That’s why I’m not sure. I know he spent of time in the minors and that should make a difference… but I’m not sure since it was a major league deal. I’ll just sit here and let someone more knowledgeable than me tell me.

For what it’s worth, I just read on another discussion board that he is NOT a free agent after this year. Apparently, this is his first year of arbitration and he’ll be a FA after 2013. He has already gone through 2 agents (I was surprised to hear that seeing though he hasn’t really negotiated a contract yet) and is now represented by Boras.

UPDATE: baseball-reference.com confirms this; it should also be noted that he will be 31 in 2014. In my opinion, it would benefit him to work out a long term deal now as he will likely only get one payday otherwise.

I was a little sorry to see MDC go. Don’t get me wrong, I had given up on him possibly being the good set up man. But he was a local kid from Boston, he was living out a childhood dream of 80% of the kids in New England. It was a business move to move him… but still.

Per Cot’s Contracts ….. Morales signed a 6 year MLB deal that does expire at season’s end. However, he doesn’t have the MLB service time to qualify for free agency.

How on Earth can he actually be a free agent? Wouldn’t we have heard about extension talks? Wouldn’t someone have talked about how his injury would impact his impending free agency? Wouldn’t the Angels have made more of an effort to find a replacement if he wasn’t going to be back next year?

Something about this doesn’t sound right. He can’t actually be free to sign elsewhere this offseason otherwise every baseball writer on the planet missed on a huge story – which isn’t likely.

Don’t bet on it.Cubs want someone with a big reputation and flair. The Mariners’ collaspe this year really overshadowed the previously positive things Wakamatsu accomplished in his short tenure as manager. He’s first going to need a bench coach job to be seriously considered anytime soon.